Last month we told you that Deneki family member, Whitney Gould, took top honors once again in the women’s division at this years Spey-O-Rama World Spey Casting Championship.

However, as you might recall, not only did she take first place, she also set the women’s world record with her longest cast of 150 feet, a snake-roll to be specific, off of her left-hand side. Yes, really.

Wouldn’t you like to see that? We thought you might. Well you can by watching the video below!

Last weekend was the 2017 Spey-O-Rama (SOR) World Spey Casting Championships at the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club, and we’re pleased to announce that not one, but two, Deneki family members placed at the top of the competition this year!

Alaska West alum, Whitney Gould, won her fifth SOR women’s casting title, while BC West lodge manager Kara Knight, came in at runner-up for the third consecutive year. Wow.

But that’s not all.. Not only did Whitney win her 5th title, she also set the all-time women’s record for longest spey cast at 150 feet, and greatest four-cast total of 559 feet. Double wow.

Please join us in congratulating Whitney and Kara on such a terrific job. Nice work ladies, we’re super proud of you.

Operating fly fishing lodges in remote locations around the world means we spend a fair amount of time loading reels and rigging gear, lots of gear, in the middle of nowhere. There aren’t any fly shops with fancy line machine’s in the bush, so like many of you, most of the time we do it the old fashion way.. By hand!

Rigging backing, running line, or fly line without a buddy to hold the spool can be frustrating. Most of the time we end up with some sort of ball point pen through a spool held between our knees – That works fine when loading up a fly line, but 250 yards of backing, 100 feet of running line, and a skagit head.. No thanks.

That’s why we were enlightened (and a little embarrassed we hadn’t thought of it first) when we saw Alaska West guide, Whitney Gould, using the post of her tying vise to hold spools of line to be rigged up. It works great, especially if you tie on a vise with a c-clamp. You can even attach the c-clamp to the backrest of a chair (or any vertical object) and keep your backing, running line, or fly line spool in line with your reel as you reel away!

When it comes to fly fishing for silvers, it’s hard to argue against the effectiveness of stripping ridiculously colored streamers with a single handed 8-9 weight fly rod. However, one of our favorite things about silver season is that we’re fortunate to be able to target fish using a whole bunch of different methods, thus amping up the fun factor a few notches.

One such way is targeting them on spey rods! Is it the most productive method possible? Maybe not.. But it’s a heck of lot of fun, and a great change of pace throughout the day. In fact, a few of you have asked us recently how we’d rig up to chase silvers with a two-hander, so we reached out to our own spey casting guru, Whitney Gould, on how she prefers to rig up when swinging for coho.

Disclaimer: If you don’t want a sore shoulder from railing on fish after fish, stop reading this post.

The Commentary

“Fishing a two handed rod for silvers is a great alternative to the traditional single handed methods. Its not only fun, but your arms and shoulders tend to be less sore come dinner time.”

“Skagit heads are built to turn over big, heavily weighted streamers, which is ideal for the heavy, lead-eye flies we tend to use.”

“When swinging for silvers, the best action is a broad side presentation jigged with a downward twitch of the rod tip. I retrieve the line during the swing only to remove slack, but as a general rule I only retrieve the line towards the end of the swing to keep the fly in the zone as long as possible.”

“Feel the weight of the fish, set the hook, and let the fish run. Silvers are the most acrobatic and unpredictable fighters amongst the Pacific salmon. Therefore time is your enemy when fighting silvers, so don’t waste time, stick it to ’em! In other words, don’t be a sissy.. Fight it like a woman!

“Make sure to take advantage of a shore lunch with family and friends and enjoy the whole experience. Coho are willing players!”

A while back we told you about a great fundraiser taking place at this year’s Spey-O-Rama International Spey Casting Tournament. In case you missed it, our own Whitney Gould teamed up with fellow spey casting guru, Mia Sheppard, to help raise money for the good folks at Casting for Recovery by encouraging donors to pledge dollars per foot on the cumulative total of their longest cast during the competition.

Despite some blustery conditions, Whitney and Mia still managed to chuck a combined distance of 265 feet, thus raising over $7,000.00 for Northern California and Northern Oregon Casting for Recovery retreats. Wow.

We think that’s pretty darn cool and applaud all who helped contribute to such a great cause. Awesome job ladies!

Just a reminder that in less than a week the 2016 Spey-O-Rama World Spey Casting Championships kick off at the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club in San Francisco, California. The event will be held between April 22nd – 24th and will feature casting demonstrations, product exhibits, and some of the best spey casters in the world. If you’re in the area, and love spey casting as much as we do, we think you owe it to yourself to check it out!

Not in the area? Not to worry, you can actually follow along with the results as they’re posted by clicking right here!

We’re really proud this year to have not one, but two Deneki team members participating in this year’s competition – Alaska West guide, Whitney Gould, and BC West lodge manager, Kara Knight. Please join us in wishing both Whitney and Kara the best of luck.

The 2016 Spey-O-Rama international spey casting tournament is only two months away, and we’re proud to announce that our own Whitney Gould is going to be competing!

However, what we’re even more proud about is that during this year’s competition, Whitney is teaming up with fellow Spey-O-Rama winner, Mia Sheppard, to help raise money for a great cause; Casting for Recovery.

Here’s how it works – You determine what you think Whitney and Mia’s longest cast will be, add them together, and then make a pledge based on that combined total footage. For example, if both Whitney and Mia have a longest cast of 130 feet (for a combined total of 260 feet) and you donate $1.00/foot, then you will donate $260.00 to Casting for Recovery. All donations raised will be split 50/50 between Northern California and Northern Oregon CFR programs.

For those of you who aren’t aware, Casting for Recovery is a program dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all breast cancer survivors through the camaraderie and inspiration of fly fishing. It’s a really, really, great cause, and if this is your first time hearing about CFR, make sure to check out their website, here!

Thanks to Deneki staffer, Robby Sanders, for a great photo essay on what we think is an important part of any great fishing lodge, camp dogs! Not just any camp dog however.. We’re talking about Willa, our four legged team member at Alaska West.

Many of our guests and staff alike would agree that our lodges feel more like a second home than just another place to fish from, and we think camp dogs are a big part of that.

Thanks Robby!

Camp Dog Extraordinaire

Camp Dogs are cool. Every camp deserves a dog and here at Alaska West we are fortunate enough to have Willa, the camp dog extraordinaire. Willa, a yellow lab, spends her off-season in Gridley, California chasing down ducks and has been a loyal fishing partner since day one. More than just a pet, Willa is a security system, a good listener, a photogenic model, and a loyal companion all in one.This furry fishing enthusiast brightens up any cold day of fishing with her lovable warmth and playful camaraderie. Her primary job is to serve as captain of the meet-and-greet team, welcoming most all back to camp after a day of fishing. Similarly to the rest of the crew here at AK West, Willa forms lasting relationships with anglers and guides alike. Occasionally, Willa is even requested as a fishing buddy for the day, bringing along her exceptional netting skills.. And to show off her good looks. Willa also serves as an excellent cast analyst, and knows when to duck. All in all, Willa is just a cool dawg, and we’re really lucky to have her around.

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Deneki Outdoors operates fishing lodges in Alaska, The Bahamas, British Columbia, and Chile.

Our blog gives anglers a daily dose of life on the water. We combine fishing reports, tips, gear reviews, information about our operations and special guest posts with pictures and stories, all related to our fisheries and beyond.

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